Antibiotics
We know why you’re here in clinic-you want “the goods”, and by “the goods” families often mean antibiotics. Antibiotics are great! But they are also way, way, way, overused. They are great for a lot of reasons, and they are overused for a lot of reasons. First, what makes antibiotics great?
Antibiotics fight bacteria. Plain and simple. They should never be used to fight viral illnesses. I mean look at the name – ANTI- Biotic (bacteria), they are not Anti-Virals. Some antibiotics fight a lot of different types of bacteria, while others fight very specific bacteria. Some go in and kill the bacteria, some prevent the bacteria from reproducing, and some prevent the toxins from being made and/or released. The fact that we have an arsenal of antibiotics to help fight disease is a big reason why people are living longer in the modern era. Because of this, a lot of physicians and patients have been taught to believe that if there is a bacterium causing any sort of illness, it must be time for antibiotics.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of very bad and dangerous pathogenic bacteria that need to be stopped quickly and decisively with antibiotics. But there are more and more studies helping doctors figure out which bacterial infections should and shouldn’t be treated with antibiotics. We often think that our body can’t handle fighting bacteria on its own. False. We have more bacterial cells in our body than human cells. How crazy is that? We are learning that common pediatric conditions like conjunctivitis (bacterial infection of the eye covering), sinusitis (bacterial infection of nasal and facial sinuses), and otitis media (the common pediatric ear infection), can be handled by the body quite readily if given enough time and supportive care.
But too often doctors are rushed and, rather than take time to explain other treatment options for these common infections, they prescribe the antibiotic for a probable pathogen. This saves them time, makes parents and families happy, and prevents any concern for physician liability.
Current research shows us that the vast majority of ear infections, conjunctivitis, and sinusitis go away with time depending on how patient age. But what if the snot is neon green!?! Yes, even if the snot is neon green. Of course, a plan highlighting a watchful waiting approach from a pediatrician should come with specific worsening and red flag signs that identify when the body needs some help getting rid of these bacteria, such as a recurrent or new fever after the patient was on the mend.
And, as a good antibiotic steward, only taking antibiotics when we really need them lowers the chance of bacteria mutating into antibiotic-resistant bacteria that pose harm to not only the patient, but also the community as a whole.